Evening Brief: Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Tonight’s Evening Brief is brought to you by The Canadian Journalism Foundation. Join us at the CJF Awards, where the CJF Tribute will honour Tina Brown, former New Yorker and Vanity Fair editor, and Harold Evans, former Sunday Times editor.
__________________________

The Lead:

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, who hinted yesterday that he needs 70 per cent support from delegates in Edmonton this weekend in order to stay on as leader, then insisted that he has no magic number, may not be able to count on the party’s youth wing. They put out a scathing critique of Mulcair’s leadership today. Our Janice Dickson has that story.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan today launched the Liberal government’s Defence Policy Review, beginning with the appointment a four-person expert panel that includes former Supreme Court justice and UN Human Rights High Commissioner Louise Arbour. The process, the first defence policy overhaul in nearly two decades, will include public consultations through July. Our Amanda Connolly has the details.

On the Conservative leadership front, MP and former cabinet minister Kellie Leitch was the first contender to file her official registration papers and fork over the $50,000 fee for a leadership bid today. CP has that piece.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is shrugging off concerns over his attorney general attending a private Liberal party fundraiser this week held at a Bay Street law firm that’s registered to lobby her. CP’s Bruce Cheadle has the story.

Parliamentary Budget Officer Jean-Denis Frechette says the Liberals’ inaugural fiscal plan was less transparent than those of past governments, making it tougher for people to assess the state of the public books. CP’s Andy Blatchford has that story.

The results of two online surveys, one published Tuesday — another Wednesday — offer very different conclusions on how Ontarians feel about ‘putting a price on’ or ‘taxing’ carbon. Our BJ Siekierski has the details.

The Liberal government and the RCMP are saying little about whether they are concerned by the move by social messenger WhatsApp to encrypt its full spectrum of communication services, and how they think that will affect the ability of Canadian security agencies to monitor plots. Our Amanda Connolly has that story.

Researchers have put a price tag on our collective unhealthy behaviours – or at least the financial strain it puts on Ontario’s health care system – and it’s not pretty. Our Kyle Duggan has the numbers.